Monday night Somerset Police addressed social media rumors of an alleged hit list. Below is the statement they posted on their Facebook page.
Social media has been active today with reports of a “hit list” targeting over twenty Somerset County youths. SPD was intially contacted by the Somerset Area School District (SASD) Administration once they were made aware of the matter by a concerned parent. SPD became aware that the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) was also investigating this matter.
We are posting this information to Facebook for a number of reasons:
* We want to assure the public that the police and the school district take reports such as these very seriously and respond immediately with a thorough investigation;
* Upon collecting all available information it is subjected to a thorough analysis to determine if a credible threat is represented.
Here is the story as we know it through the investigative efforts of our officers and troopers. A young couple who are not current SASD students recently ended their relationship and the separation was not amicable and led to others taking sides in the matter. The young lady and her younger sister then created what was titled, “S**t List”. This list was sent to another young lady, a student at SASD, and she posted it to Facebook, referring to it as a “Hit List”. From there it is our understanding that this posting went viral, at least in the Somerset area.
Upon becoming aware of it, SASD immediately contacted SPD and, as mentioned earlier, SPD became aware that PSP had also been contacted about the purported hit list. PSP and SPD then combined their investigations and manpower into a joint investigation. This investigation led the officers and troopers to the sisters who had originally created the “S**t List”.
After questioning the sisters and their mother, the officers and troopers concluded that the list does not represent a credible threat. Again, arrival at this conclusion is only achieved after thorough collection of facts and background information and analysis of the same as compared to accepted standards of threat assessment.
Only nine of the individuals on the list are known to be SASD students and the parents of those students are being contacted by SASD to make them aware of the existence of the list and that it is not being viewed as a credible threat.
Some final thoughts:
* If you are a student at SASD or the parent of one YOU WILL BE CONTACTED by SASD. If you are not contacted your name (or your child’s name) WAS NOT ON THE LIST.
* SPD wishes to commend SASD for their prompt reaction to this matter. The fact that they treated this as a serious matter enabled us and PSP to effectively and efficiently get to the bottom of the matter.
* SPD wishes to express our gratitude to PSP for working so cooperatively with us in this investigation (of course, they always do).
* On behalf of SASD and PSP, we also want to thank and commend those individuals who quickly reached out to the school and/or police to make us aware of this matter.
* Mainly in an effort to provide comfort and confidence, SPD will have an increased presence at the SASD campuses when school resumes on Wednesday.
* The final, final thought is this: as you become aware of the whole and true story, SPREAD THE TRUTH, don’t proliferate the rumors.
Thank you.
